In Russia, the year of the black water snake — 2013 — has already brought a lot of public events that have had their effect on central TV programming and Internet blog activities. The country has lost several notable public figures — famous movie and stage producers, actors and writers. Some other members of the cultural elite from elder generations have had their 75th or 80th anniversaries.
After a more or less prolonged pause immediately upon the presidential inauguration, fiery political talk shows resumed with a new vigor, attracting millions of nighttime viewers to the TV screens where political opponents have been trying to chop each other into salad.
Each such event provokes hot public passions and gives food for thought about the current state of Russian society and the way along which the country has been moving in the last dozen years.